- Steve McClellan

Four agencies have emerged as contenders in the CVS media review. In the hunt are two WPP entries: Mindshare and MediaCom; Omnicom's OMD; and Interpublic Group's Universal McCann, according to sources.

CVS spent more than $90 million in domestic measured media in each of the past two years, per Nielsen.

In January, the pharmacy chain began separate reviews of its creative and media chores. The client had said no timetable has been established for the competitions, though sources indicated that CVS is conducting the media process first and expects to finish up later this month.

IPG's Hill, Holliday in Boston, the longtime media and creative incumbent on CVS, said shortly after the review process began that it would not defend either assignment.

Officials at the various media shops declined comment, referring questions to the client, where a representative did not immediately respond to queries for information.

Hill, Holliday added CVS to its roster eight years ago. Since then, the company has been one of the shop's largest and most visible assignments, with high-profile work appearing across various traditional and digital channels.

CVS said it launched the review owing to changes in both the retail and media landscapes in recent years.

Boston consulting firm Pile + Co. is overseeing the process.